Singular actuation for plural feeding and cutting means in stamp vending machines



Apnl 6, 1965 R. E. FITZGERALD SINGULAR ACTUATION FOR PLURAL FEEDING AND CUTTING MEANS IN STAMP VENDING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1963 INVENTOR. ,Rozzfir E E22 GER/9L2) April 6, 1965 R. E. FITZGERALD 3,175,562

SINGULAR ACTUATION FOR PLURAL FEEDING AND CUTTING MEANS IN STAMP VENDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 19, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aprl 1965 R. E. FITZGERALD 3,176,552

SINGULAR ACTUATION FOR PLURAL FEEDING AND CUTTING MEANS IN STAMP VENDING MACHINES Filed Aug. 19, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 o 32435Z g\?/ Z41 44 Fj' fl I NVENTOR. JFoBE T .2 7 mas /9.4.0 MKM United States Patent 3,176,562 SINGULAR ACTUATIGN FOR PLURAL FEEDER; AND CUTTING BEANS 1N STAMP VENDDIG MACHINES Robert E. Fitzgerald, 14ll9 E. Euclid, Arlington Heights, Ill. Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 302,802 4 Claims. (Cl. 83-233) This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a vending machine and, more particularly, to a stamp vending machine.

A principal object of the invention is to provide, in a vending machine of this character, a novel and useful arrangement for vending stamps in any desired combination from rolls of stamps mounted within the machine.

Another and equally important object of this invention is to provide, in a vending machine of this character, a dual dispensing mechanism that is actuated simultaneously by a single actuator while permitting each dispensing mechanism to be adjusted so as to dispense a predetermined number of stamps with each mechanism dispensing a different amount.

A further object of this invention is to provide, in a vending machine of this character, a simplified guillotine arrange for severing the vending stamps from each of the dispensing mechanisms.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel method to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the improved postage stamp vending cabinet showing three separate dual vending mechanisms therein;

FIG. 2 is'a side elevational view of one of the stamp vending mechanisms;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional View showing the vending mouth and stamp guide track;

While the invention more particularly relates to a stamp 1 vending machine, it will be apparent from the following description of the machine that the invention may be incorporated in vending machines of various descriptions and purposes.

The preferred form of construction of the invention, as shown in the drawings, includes a rectangularly shaped cabinet 10, the front wall 11 of which provides an elongated dispensing mouth 12 adjacent the bottom of the cabinet. Within the cabinet 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1,

3,176,552 Patented Apr. 6, 1965 As all of the stamp vending mechanisms contained within the cabinet 1% are identical in construction, I will describe but one. Each dual stamp vending unit includes two vertically extending spaced apart center walls 16 and 17 (FIGS. 2 and 4). Each of the center walls 16 and 17 terminate into oppositely extending base flanges 18 and 19, respectively. These center walls 16 and 17 are spaced apart a predetermined distance by spacers 20 associated with connecting nuts and bolts 21, as viewedin FIGS. 4 and 5. These center walls 16 and 17 are provided with a horizontally aligned opening through which a shaft 22 extends. The center portion of this shaft 22 is square in cross-section as seen in FIG. 8 and has mounted thereon for rotation therewith a control disc 23. This control disc 23 is provided with a full stroke mechanism which structurally includes having a portion of the discs peripheral edge formed to provide a series of ratchet teeth 24. These ratchet teeth 24 are adapted to engage a ratchet pawl 25 carried by a shaft 26 journaled between the plates 16 and 17.

The pawl 25 is pivotally held in thepath of the teeth 24 by a spring 24' (FIG. 4). This spring 24' has one end connected to a shoulder 25' provided by the pawl 25, which shoulder 25' projects through an opening formed in the wall 17. The opposite end of the spring 24' is fixed to a stud 26 carried by the wall 17. The pawl 25 will engage the ratchet teeth 24 provided by the disc23 and will pivot under the rotational force of the disc until all of the teeth 24 pass from engagement therewith. The spring 24' will return the pawl 25 to its position shown in FIG. 8 and permit the disc 23 to rotate back to its original position. If, however, during the partial rotation of the disc 23 an attempt is made to return to its original position, as shown in FIG. 8, the pawl 25 will engage certain of the teeth 24 and prevent such movement.

The control disc 23 is provided with a coin pocket 27 which is normally positioned in substantially vertical alignment with outwardly flared lips 28 formed from a top portion of each of the center plates 16 and 17, and which provide a coin acceptanceway.

The control disc 23 provides on each side thereof a laterally extending lug 29 which slidably supports an actuating plunger 30. This plunger 30 is provided with an enlarged head 31 and has a coiled spring 32 disposed about the plunger 30 between the lug 2-9 and head 31 as seen in FIGS. 2, 4, and 8. This arrangement provides a yieldable connection between'the plunger 30 and the supporting leg 29. As viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4, these oppositely extending lugs '29 are adapted to be projected through horizontally aligned arcuated slots 30' and 31' formed in the center wall plates 16 and 17.

Mounted on one end of the shaft 22 in facial relation ,to the center wall 16 for movement transversely to .the longitudinal axis of the shaft 22 is a slotted end member 33 of the actuator 13. This end member .33 comprises a substantially flat vertically disposed memberconnected at one end to the actuator 13 and is provided adjacent its opposite end with .an elongated horizontally extending slot 34 through'which the shaft'22 extends. Intermediate the ends of the slot 34 the end 33 of the actuator 13 .is provided with an integrally formed depending leg '35, which has formed therein an elongated vertically extending slot 36. A toggle link 37 has one end fixedly connected to the shaft 22 and has, by means of a nutiand bolt 38, its opposite end slidably connected 'to thedepending leg 35 of the actuator 13. The nut and bolt' a laterally extending foot 4d which supports a mounting of the fingers 42, will nevertheless engage some perfora tions of the stamp web to facilitate the vending of the same.

The depending leg 39 is adapted to be caused to be pivoted about the shaft 22 so as to move the laterally extending foot provided at one end thereof over and in spaced relation to a stamp dispensing track 44. The free ends of the stamp engaging fingers 42 are positioned to have yieldable engagement with the face of the track 44 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 7. The track 44 has one end connected to a mounting bracket 45 which is carried adjacent the rear edge of the center wall 16. The front end of the track 44 is located in close communication with the dispensing opening 46 formed in a front wall plate 47 as seen in FIG. 6.

The front wall plate 47. is connected by screws 48 or the like, to a raised leg 49 provided by the bottom base flange 18. The track 44 near the dispensing opening 46 provides. a stamp guide and pressure plate 49. This pressure plate 49' is carried by the top edge of the track as seen in FIG. 2, and has a portion of its length curved downwardly and into the dispensing opening 46 and in the path of the stamps to be vended therethrough, and functions to prevent the severed end of the web of stamps from curling out of the track 44 and thus become dispositioned with respect to the dispensing opening 46 causing malfunction of the vending operation.

The dispensing leg 39 together with the'stanip engaging fingers 42 is normally caused to pivot in a counterclockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2 by a spring 50. which has one end connected to the dispensing leg 39 and its opposite end fixedly connected to a stud 51 carried by the center Wall 16, The dispensing leg 39 is provided with a shoulder 52.which is adapted to engage a stop pin 53 so as to arrest the counterclockwise movement thereof as caused by the spring 59. The stop pin 53 is capable of being positioned in any one of the series of holes 54 formed in the wall 16 so as to control the positioning of the dispensing leg 39 and the stamp engaging fingers 42 with respect to the web of stamps in the track 44.- By this arrangement the number of stamps to be vended by the dispensing leg 39 is controlled by this simple arrangement of positioning the dispensing leg 39 relative to the longitudinal length of the track 44.

Mounted on the front wall 47 is a guillotine blade 55. This blade 55 is movably mounted to the partial front wall 47 by screws 56 (FIG. '2) the shank portions of which are adapted to move through vertically extending guide slots formed in the front wall'47. The blade 55 terminates at its bottom edge into a V-shaped edge 57 which in its normal position, as seen inFIG. 5,. closes the dispensing opening 46.

The blade 55 is fixedly connected by screws 58 to a carrier 59, which in turn is slidably connected by bolts 69, to an intermediate front wall plate 61 integrally formed out of the center wall 16 -(see FIG. 2). .The bolts 60 are threaded intofront wall plate 61 and are adapted to move through vertically extending slots 62 formed in the movable carrier 59 when the same is caused to reciprocate through a vertical plane in a manner hereinafter described. 7

Thecarrier 59' is provided with a substantially U- shaped upper bracket63 and a similarly shaped lower bracket 64, each ofwhich in turn have journaled between the spaced apart arms thereof, roller members 65 and 66 respectively. These roller members 65 and 66 are in engagement with the top and bottom edge of the actuator 13, as viewed in FIG. 2. The top longitudinal edge of the actuator 13, between the exposed end thereof and its inner connecting end 33, is provided with a cam surface 67. Thus as the actuator 13 is pulled away from the intermediate front wall 61, the roller 65 of the carrier 59 will engage the cam surface 67, and will cause vertical movement of the carrier 59 which, in turn, will cause the blade 55 to raise into the position shown in FIG. 6. After the actuator 13 has been extracted its full length, it is pushed inwardly of the cabinet 10 so as to return itto its original position. As it returns, the cam surface 63 formed on the bottom longitudinal edge of the actuator 13 will engage the roller 66 of the carrier 59, causing the same to move in a downward direction and to simultaneously move the blade 55 through the plane of the dispensing opening 46 so that the sharpened edge 57 thereof will sever the stamps to be dispensed from the remaining web of stamps within the machine.

As shown in FEGS. 2 and 4, the blade 55 carries a deflector plate 69 which serves to deflect and guide the vended stamps into and out of the dispensing mouth 12 formed in the front wall 11 of the cabinet 10.

As vie. ed in FIGS. 5 and 6 it is shown that the carrier 59 has a portion which is of sufiicient width whereby it is fixedly connected to a second guillotine blade 70. This blade 7% is adapted to be operatively associated with a stamp dispensing opening 71 provided by the integrally operated dual dispensing unit. This dual dispensing unit is shown in FIG. 4 and as such comprises a dispensing leg 72 which is freely journaled on the opposite end of the shaft 22 asit projects outwardly from the center wall 17. This dispensing leg 72 terminates-at its free end into a laterally extending foo-t 73 which in turn supports a mounting plate '74. Yieldably mounted on the plate 74 is a plurality of stamp engaging fingers 75 which are similar in construction to the stamp engaging fingers shown and described in Patent No. 2,865,699 and the previously described stamp engaging fingers 42.

The stamp engaging fingers 75 are adapted to be pivoted over the face of a stamp dispensing track 44'. This track 76 is connected by means of screws 77 to a mounting bracket 45' connected to the center wall 17. The dual dispensing leg 72 is adapted to be pivoted about the shaft in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 4 by a spring 79, which has one end connected as at 80 to the stamp dispensing leg 72 and its opposite end connected to a stud 31 carried by the center wall 17.

The guillotine blade 70 is connected by means of a screw 78 to the carrier 59. The blade 70 is slidably connected to a partial front wall 82 which extends vertically from a raised leg 83 formed from the bottom base flange 19, as seen in FIG. 4. The blade 70 is connected to the front wall 82 by means of a stud 84 which has its shank portion projected through an elongated vertical slot formed in the front wall 82 and threaded into the blade 70.

Each of the stamp dispensing legs 39 and 72 have struck from their leading edge a small flange 85 and 86 respectively (see FIGS. 2 and 4). These flanges 85 and 86 are adapted to be engaged by the enlarged heads 31 of each of the actuating plungers 30 which are movably carried at eachside of the control disc 23. as hereinbefore described.

Each of the center walls 16 and 17 provide adjacent the top edge thereof circular stamp compartments 87 and 88.

These compartments are each provided with a removable cover 89 and 90 respectively. Each of the compartments 87 and 88'is so formed that a web of stamps may extend therefrom and pass behind a guide member 91 which laterally extends in opposite directions from each of the center walls 16 and .17. These guide members 91 terminate into yieldable guide fingers 92 which have their jector (not shown).

U free ends provided with teeth which are adapted to yieldably engage the inner end of each of the tracks 44 and 44'.

Adapted to be mounted on the center wall 16 by a bracket 93 is a substantially U-shaped support member 94 to which is removably connected a coin acceptor and re- This bracket 93 also provides a coin return chute 93.

The operation of the stamp dispensing mechanism is as follows. A proper coin is deposited in any of the desired coin entranceways 14 formed in the front Wall 11 of the cabinet 10. The coin will normally pass through the coin acceptor and rejector from which it is guided into the flared lips 28 of the coin acceptanceways formed by the spaced apart walls 16 and 17. The coin will be lodged in the coin pocket 27 formed in the control disc 23 between the walls 16 and 17. As the operator withdraws the actuator 13 outwardly of the cabinet the control disc 23 will be caused to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 8. This rotatable movement of the control disc 23 is achieved in the following manner. As the actuator 13 is so moved, the inner end member 33 thereof will likewise be moved in a horizontal direction and by the toggle connection between the toggle link 37, fixedly journaled upon the shaft 22, and the leg 36 of the member 33, the shaft 22 will be caused to rotate. During such rotation the shaft 22 will move through the slot 34 formed in the end member 33 and the nut and bolt connection 38 will move through the slot 36 formed in the leg 35.

As the shaft 22 is caused to rotate the control disc 23 will likewise be rotated. As the control disc 23 rotates the coin C which is lodged in the coin pocket 27 will move into engagement with one lock finger 93 of a pivotal latch arm 94. This latch arm 94 is pivotally connected as at 95 to the center Wall 17. The lock finger 93 extends laterally therefrom and projects through aligned slots 96 and 97 formed in the center walls 17 and 16 respectively. As the coin C engages the lock finger 93, it will cam the latch 94 in an upward direction and this movement will move a second latch finger 98 carried thereby and which projects through aligned slots 99 and 100 formed in each of the center walls, out of its normal latching position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, Where it would normally engage a stop shoulder 101 formed in the peripheral edge of the control disc 23 and prevent rotation thereof. As' the lock finger 93 is now cammed out of the path of movement of the shoulder 191, the disc 23 is permitted to rotate. As the disc 23 rotates the actuating plungers carried to each side thereof will move through an arcuated path into engagement with the shoulders 85 and 86 of the dispensing legs 39 and 72 and cause the same to be moved in the direction of their respective dispensing openings 46 and 71. As each of the dispensing legs 39 and 72 is moved, the stamp engaging fingers 42 and 75 carried thereby will engage perforations in the web of stamps in the tracks 44 and 44 and cause the same to be moved over such tracks and out of the dispensing openings 46 and 71.

By the operation as previously described the movement of the actuator 13 through its connection with the carrier 59 has caused the blades and to be raised out of closing relation with the stamp dispensing openings 46 and 71, thus permitting the stamps to be vended therethrough.

After a full operating stroke of the plunger 13, the guillotine blades 55 and 70 will be mechanically returned to their normal position and sever the dispensed stamps from the web of stamps remaining in the tracks 44 and 44'.

As the object of my invention is to provide a dual dispensing freely adjustable stamp vending mechanism it becomes necessary to adjust the pivotal movement of each of the dispensing legs 39 and 72. As each of the legs is freely mounted on the shaft 22, it is readily apparent that if I wish the dispensing leg 39 to vend the maximum number of stamps out of the stamp opening 46, I would position such dispensing leg 39 as shown in FIG. 2. As thus shown, the stamp engaging fingers 42 are at the inner uppermost end of the track 44, and will upon actuation, move throughout the length of such track and dispense all stamps therein.

If I now wish to dispense a lesser number of stamps through the opening 71 associated with the dual dispensing unit, I would arrange the stop pin 102 (FIG. 4) to be positioned in any of the apertures 103 formed in an arcuated path about the shaft 22. This pin 102 would arrest the normal pivotal movement of the dispensing leg 72 under the action of the spring 79 and position the dispwsing leg 72 intermediate the ends of its associated track 44. In such adjusted position, there will not result a simultaneous initial movement of the stamp dispensing leg 76 with the dispensing leg 39, and each would dispense a different number of stamps.

By the movement of the actuator 13, the enlarged head 31 of the actuating plunger 30 associated with the dispensing leg '72 would not engage the flange 86 thereof until the dispensing leg 39 had already been moved over its track 44. Thus it is readily apparent that I have devised a fully adjustable dual stamp dispensing mechanism.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for vending stamps in a predetermined quantity comprising,

(a) a plurality of compartments for receiving rolls of stamps to be vended,

(b) elongated a'rcuated juxtaposed tracks for each compartment through which the stamps to be vended are moved,

(0) a plurality of stamp engaging means movable rotationally through each of said tracks for moving a predetermined number of stamps therethrough,

(d) a single actuator for moving said stamp engaging means simultaneously through their respective tracks to vend a predetermined quantity of stamps therethrough,

(e) moving means carried by said actuator for interconnecting each of said stamp engaging means independently to said actuator for rotational movement thereof,

(f) means for selectively positioning each of said stamp engaging means intermediate the end of their path of movement through said tracks and relative to said moving means of said actuator to determine the degree of rotational movement therethrough and the number of stamps to be vended thereby,

(g) a toggle link connection between said actuator and said stamp engaging means for effecting rotational movement in one direction of said stamp ertigaging means upon lineal movement of said actua or,

(h) spring means for effecting rotational movement of said stamp engaging means in an opposite direction independently of the lineal movement of said actuator,

(i) a releasable latch for preventing operative movement of said actuator for effecting vending of stamps from the apparatus,

(j) a guillotine for severing the vended stamps from the vending end of said tracks,

(k) said guillotine normally disposed across and blocking the vending end of said tracks, and

(l) means carried by said actuator for moving said guillotine from its normal position through a substantially vertical plane during the vending of the stamps through the vending end of said tracks.

2. An apparatus for vending stamps as defined by claim 1 wherein said means for selectively positioning each of said stamp engaging means intermediate the ends of their path of movement through said tracks comprising an adjustable stop pin positionable in the path of movement of said stamp engaging means when the same is rotationally moved in an opposite direction by said spring means.

3. An apparatus for vending stamps in a predetermined quantity comprising,

(a) a plurality of compartments for receiving rolls of stamps to be vended,

(b) elongated arcuated juxtaposed tracks for each compartment through which the stamps to be vended are moved,

() a plurality of stamp engaging means movable rotationally through each of said tracks for moving a predetermined number of stamps therethrough,

(d) a substantially horizontally extended shaft provided by said apparatus upon which each of said stamp engaging means is pivotally mounted in spaced apart parallelly extending relation,

(e) a single actuator for moving said stamp engaging means simultaneously through their respective tracks to vend a predetermined quantity of stamps therethrough,

(1) means for movably mounting said actuator upon said shaft so that said actuator may be moved radially with respect thereto through a substantial horizontal plane, 7

g) moving means carried by said actuator for interconnecting each of said stamp engaging means independently to said actuator for rotational movement thereof,

(11) means for selectively positioning each of said stamp engaging means intermediate the end of their path of movement through said tracks and relative to said moving means of said actuator to determine the degree of rotational movement therethrough and the number of stamps to be vended thereby,

(i) said actuator having a full stroke reciprocal horizontal movement relative to said shaft and said CTL (I) a toggle link connection between said actuator and said stamp engaging means for effecting rotational movement on one direction of said stamp engaging means upon lineal movement of said actuator,

(k) spring means for effecting rotational movement of said stamp engaging means in an opposite direction independently of the lineal movement of said actuator,

(l) a releasable latch for preventing operative movement of said actuator for effecting vending of stamps from the apparatus,

(m) a guillotine for severing the vended stamps from the vending end of said tracks,

(:1) said guillotine normally disposed across and blocking the vending end of said tracks, and

(0) means carried by said actuator for moving said guillotine from its normal position through a substantially vertical plane during the vending of the stamps through the vending end of said tracks.

4. An apparatus for vending stamps as defined by claim 3 wherein said means for selectively positioning each of said stamp engaging means intermediate the ends of their path of movement through said tracks comprising an adjustable stop pin positionable in the path of movement of said stamp engaging means when the same is rotationally moved in an opposite direction by said spring means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 493,931 3/93 Hunter et al 83231 1,010,577 12/11 Bolli et a1 83602 X 1,060,291 4/13 Small 83233 1,216,799 2/17 Hall 83-278 X 1,407,639 2/ 22 Cone 83272 X 1,650,556 11/27 Weber 83-278 X 1,781,839 11/30 Graves 83272 X 2,865,699 12/58 Fitzgerald 225-11 ANDREW R. JUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

LEON PEAR, Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR VENDING STAMPS IN A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY COMPRISING, (A) A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS FOR RECEIVING ROLLS OF STAMPS TO BE VENDED, (B) ELONGATED ARCUATED JUXTAPOSED TRACKS FOR EACH COMPARTMENT THROUGH WHICH THE STAMPS TO BE VENDED ARE MOVED, (C) A PLURALITY OF STAMP ENGAGING MEANS MOVABLE ROTATIONALLY THROUGH EACH OF SAID TRACKS FOR MOVING A PREDETERMINED THROUGH EACH OF SAID TRACKS FOR MOVING A (D) A SINGLE ACTUATOR FOR MOVING SAID STAMP ENGAGING MEANS SIMULTANELUSLY THROUGH THEIR RESPECTIVE TRACKS TO VEND A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF STAMPS THERETHROUGH, (E) MOVING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ACTUATOR FOR INTERCONNECTING EACH OF SAID STAMP ENGAGING MEANS INDEPENDENTLY TO SAID ACTUATOR FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THEREOF, (F) MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY POSITIONING EACH OF SAID STAMP ENGAGING MEANS INTERMEDIATE THE END OF THEIR PATH OF MOVEMENT THROUGH SAID TRACKS AND RELATIVE TO SAID MOVING MEANS OF SAID ACTUATOR TO DETERMINE THE DEGREE OF ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT THERETHROUGH AND THE NUMBER OF STAMPS TO BE VENDED THEREBY, (G) A TOGGLE LINK CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID ACTUATOR AND SAID STAMP ENGAGING MEANS FOR EFFECTING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID STAMP ENGAGING MEANS UPON LINEAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATOR, 